Cymanfa Ganu
Encyclopedia
A Cymanfa Ganu is a Welsh
festival of sacred hymn
s, sung with four part harmony by a congregation, usually under the direction of a choral director.
In Wales, a Cymanfa Ganu is still an annual event in some chapel
s and may take place at festivals such as the National Eisteddfod of Wales
and the Pontardawe Festival
. Cymanfa Ganus are also occurring round the world - wherever people of Welsh heritage live.
The Cymanfa Ganu is one of the unique features of Welsh culture
and its preservation is being supported by a number of Welsh cultural associations, such as the New Zealand National Gymanfa Ganu Association and the Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association
(North America
).
weekend. The four day festival opens on Thursday night with a Noson Lawen, which some call a Welsh Amateur Night. The weekend continues with an evening banquet
on Friday and a Saturday concert, generally featuring a Welsh male voice choir and soloists, both from Wales.
Sunday is the defining day of the four day festival which begins with a bilingual church and memorial service. After a brief intermission, this service is followed by afternoon and evening sessions of the Gymanfa Ganu itself. A unique feature of the gymanfa ganu is the seating separation of alto
, soprano
, tenor
, and bass singers into sections for the four part harmony
singing. And while the Gymanfa Ganu is conducted with the dignity of a church service, it is not unknown for the musical conductor to stop the singing when one or more of the voice sections wanders from the desired harmony and needs special attention.
Interspersed between the formal proceedings are frequent sessions of spontaneous singing of favorite hymns. A Welsh Marketplace
, offering Welsh products, artifacts, souvenirs, recordings, and books, is also available during the days of the festival.
The Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association
is the main organizational body responsible for putting on the event.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
festival of sacred hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s, sung with four part harmony by a congregation, usually under the direction of a choral director.
In Wales, a Cymanfa Ganu is still an annual event in some chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s and may take place at festivals such as the National Eisteddfod of Wales
National Eisteddfod of Wales
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
and the Pontardawe Festival
Pontardawe Festival
Pontardawe Festival is an annual festival of world music and dance which is held every August on the playing fields in Pontardawe, Wales, UK....
. Cymanfa Ganus are also occurring round the world - wherever people of Welsh heritage live.
The Cymanfa Ganu is one of the unique features of Welsh culture
Culture of Wales
Wales has a distinctive culture including its own language, customs, holidays and music.Wales is primarily represented by the symbol of the red Welsh Dragon, but other national emblems include the leek and daffodil. The Welsh words for leeks and daffodils Wales has a distinctive culture including...
and its preservation is being supported by a number of Welsh cultural associations, such as the New Zealand National Gymanfa Ganu Association and the Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association
Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association
The Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association, also known as WNGGA, was founded in 1929, after the first Cymanfa Ganu in North America was held on a field on Goat Island, located in the Niagara Reservation State Park in Niagara Falls, New York...
(North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
).
North American Gymanfa Ganu
Once a year, a four day North American Festival of Wales (a Gymanfa Ganu, commonly just referred to as a National) is held in North America over the Labor DayLabor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
weekend. The four day festival opens on Thursday night with a Noson Lawen, which some call a Welsh Amateur Night. The weekend continues with an evening banquet
Banquet
A banquet is a large meal or feast, complete with main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose such as a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration, and is often preceded or followed by speeches in honour of someone....
on Friday and a Saturday concert, generally featuring a Welsh male voice choir and soloists, both from Wales.
Sunday is the defining day of the four day festival which begins with a bilingual church and memorial service. After a brief intermission, this service is followed by afternoon and evening sessions of the Gymanfa Ganu itself. A unique feature of the gymanfa ganu is the seating separation of alto
Alto
Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
, soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, and bass singers into sections for the four part harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
singing. And while the Gymanfa Ganu is conducted with the dignity of a church service, it is not unknown for the musical conductor to stop the singing when one or more of the voice sections wanders from the desired harmony and needs special attention.
Interspersed between the formal proceedings are frequent sessions of spontaneous singing of favorite hymns. A Welsh Marketplace
Marketplace
A marketplace is the space, actual, virtual or metaphorical, in which a market operates. The term is also used in a trademark law context to denote the actual consumer environment, ie. the 'real world' in which products and services are provided and consumed.-Marketplaces and street markets:A...
, offering Welsh products, artifacts, souvenirs, recordings, and books, is also available during the days of the festival.
The Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association
Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association
The Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association, also known as WNGGA, was founded in 1929, after the first Cymanfa Ganu in North America was held on a field on Goat Island, located in the Niagara Reservation State Park in Niagara Falls, New York...
is the main organizational body responsible for putting on the event.